Rod Blagojevich jury convicts on one count, hangs on 23

According to the indictment, he did some of these things even after he knew that his alleged co-conspirators — including his brother, his chief of staff and business associates — were being investigated and watched by prosecutors.

The numerous charges — racketeering, bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery, attempted extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion — were extensively documented in the 113-page indictment and in testimony that pulled the curtain back on a vain politician, obsessing over his own political stature in private while publicly pronouncing his commitment to “the people” and fantasizing about perhaps becoming U.N. ambassador or even president.

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Tapes of the foul-mouthed Blagojevich recorded by FBI wiretaps became a cult hit. Ring tones of the former governor’s greatest hits from the indictment posted by the State Journal-Register in Springfield went viral and were widely downloaded.

“I’ve got this thing, and it’s f------ golden. And I’m just not giving it up for f------ nothing,” Blagojevich says describing Obama’s Senate seat in one of the more popular ring tones.

“Only 13 percent of you all out there think I’m doing a good job. So f--- all of you,” he says in another.

On the way to his trial, Blagojevich milked the spotlight and the strange freedom provided to a politician removed from office and awaiting trial.

He hosted a weekly radio show and fell asleep before getting fired by Donald Trump on NBC’s “The Apprentice.” His wife ate a tarantula “as an act of love” and bonded with the stars of MTV’s “The Hills” on the reality show, “I’m a celebrity ... Get me out of here!”

His trademark line whenever meeting a new person during the nearly two years since he was arrested was: “Rod Blagojevich, innocent on all charges.”

By a unanimous 59-0 vote, the Illinois Senate removed Blagojevich from office on Jan. 29, 2009.

Blagojevich blamed his political opponents for his removal, claiming that it was retribution for his legislative push to provide health care to low-income families.

He has also blamed variously Obama, Emanuel and White House adviser Valerie Jarrett for his woes.

Blagojevich threatened to expose top White House staffers as equally corrupt, though his legal team never called any of them as witnesses. But there is a chance they could be called if Blagojevich is re-tried on some of the counts.

Blagojevich’s former chief of staff, John Harris, testified during the trial that Obama knew Blagojevich was “willing to make the appointment of Valerie Jarrett as long as he gets what he's asked for.”

But that uncorroborated statement was as close as the governor’s team got to implicating the White House, which never had to endure the scrutiny that Republicans hoped would befall Obama’s administration during the trial. White House spokesman Bill Burton referred all questions about the case to the Justice Department.

Instead, the trial was mostly an embarrassment for Blagojevich.

It was revealed that he and his wife had spent more than $400,000 on clothes during his term as governor while racking up $200,000 in consumer debt.

Tapes of the governor show that it occurred to him that he might be named the United States ambassador to the United Nations in exchange for the Senate seat and that he had considered appointing talk show host Oprah to the seat.

Toward the end of the trial, even Blagojevich had to admit that he talked “too much.”

I hope when they re-try the guy they are smart enough to bring in all the friends of obama to testify. I'd like to see them shake a few more trees this time. I think the prosecutors were being a little shy about rattling the white house windows the first time around. It is Chicago after all. Wouldn't want to bite too hard on the hand that feeds you.

In my opinion, the FBI stopped the investigation of Blago because they believe that the White House was about to step into the mess big time. I also believe that the prosecution withheld key information to protect the White House from embarrassment.

I can not believe that the gov. would present the case this poorly and even consider having it retried. This is on our money and they are not smart enough to win it. Close the books and tried the illegals.

Chicago thugocracy at its finest! They protect their own just like a good mob family. The same swamp that spawned libtard 0zer0, the first mongrel Michelle, racist Rev Wright, and Rahm "steak knives" Emmanuel, among others.

All libtards know how to do is Tax and Spend to make the people slaves. That’s why 70 congressional dumbcrats caucus with the Socialist Party of America. The 0zer0 libtard agenda has been rejected by repubs, independents, seniors, and conservatives. Everyday the opposition to the 0zer0 regime builds. Real Americans that love their country will oppose the socialist slavery he and libtard dumbcrats are peddling.

0zer0, his regime and all the libtard dumbcrats only care about power. They have declared war on America to maximize that power. They redistribute the wealth of producers to their backers, who are nothing but leaches on the economy and society. Illegal Immigrants, Unions, Banks, Wallstreet, Insurance Companies, Environmental Nazis, Education Idiots, Gays, Hollywood, Lame Stream Media, and Welfare Queens. The dumbcrats are destroying the country piece by piece with their arrogance, hypocrisy, incompetence, and lust for power.

America has seen through their lies. The poor libtard dumbcrats and 0zer0 fail time after time. They can't plug the hole in the border. They didn’t know how to clean up the gulf, or how to fix the economy, jobs, housing, Freddie & Fannie, or the deficit. They gave us death panels, and destroyed healthcare and the energy industry. They bailed out Wallstreet, AIG, banks, teachers, and Government and Communist Motors to keep their lobbyists and unions happy. They can't contain N.Korea or Iran, were wrong about Iraq, and are failing in Afghanistan. Even Gitmo is still open. The war on radical islamic terrorists is now Imam 0zer0’s war against man made human disasters. He fights the war with fatwas giving Miranda rights to foreign terrorists, and spends taxpayer money to build a victory mosque at the 9/11 site, while refusing to let the St. Nicholas Orthodox church that was destroyed on 9/11 be rebuilt.

Everyday the failures of the libtard dumbcrats and the 0zer0 Regime prove Joe Wilson correct when he told 0zer0:"You Lie!"

Their ideas are not working and they are all being held accountable. Like cornered rats, the 0zer0 regime and litard dumbcrats are turning on each other. It's time to take back America from the marxist fascists.

America has rejected the Great Divider, Campaigner-In-Chief, Dear Reader Leader, the mongrel messiah, the closet muslim, marxist fascist narcissist petulant man-child 0zer0. November can't come soon enough so America can undo their mistake in 2006 when they let the dumbcrats run wild. This time they will throw out the libtard dumbcrats in 2010, and complete the purge of the putrid garbage in 2012 when 0zer0 is removed.

Unbelievable. Fitzgerald needs to go. This guy is a major two time loser. How much tax payer money did we waste letting this incompetent grand standing schmuck prosecute Blago. Retry, but dump Fitzgerald.

I hope when they re-try the guy they are smart enough to bring in all the friends of obama to testify. I'd like to see them shake a few more trees this time. I think the prosecutors were being a little shy about rattling the white house windows the first time around. It is Chicago after all. Wouldn't want to bite too hard on the hand that feeds you.

Other than feeding your Obama paranoia, what do you think that would accomplish?

It's not hard to see why Fitzgerald never called anyone from the Obama camp to testify. They had Blago on tape complaining that the White House wouldn't offer him anything to give the seat to the person of their choice. Kind of ends that avenue of inquiry.

Remember folks, the bozo government lawyers prosecuting blago (who defeated them on 23 of 24 counts) are the same type of bozos that "You Lie!" hussein wants to prosecute the 911 terrorists! When blago gets off with a minor slap on the wrist, will "You Lie" hussein just give up his charade and let the 911 murderers go free also? (After all, they're special because they're muslins.)

Fox1939 ........... says that the FBI stopped the investigation to protect the Admin, man are you an idiot or just childish, first Pres Obama did not appoint the FBI director or the prosecution, they are all Bush appointees YOU IDIOT. Stop posting before you make a bigger idiot of yourself, if that's possible that is.

Well the prosecution wins by loosing, first you try the defendant and bankrupt him, then you cut a deal where he serves 2 years in federal prison. There is no way Blago goes through another trial, he broke.